


A Threefold Chord

by Lonely_Stargazer



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Royalty, Slow Burn, Threesome - F/M/M, Titans, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 13:28:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonely_Stargazer/pseuds/Lonely_Stargazer
Summary: Lisbeth Johansson grew up in the security and opulent wealth of the royal Johansson family, content to serve humanity by performing her royal duties-securing an advantageous match and giving birth to a new royal generation.  That is, until she meets a certain inquisitive mind, who opens her eyes to the truth behind humanity's situation. Hiding the truth within her, as she grows up, it begins to foster feelings of doubt but also curiosity as to what lies beyond the walls. These feelings continue to grow until she decides she can no longer remain content with her life as it is.  So, against the will and desire of her family, she joins the military-the Survey Corps to be exact.  Unbeknownst to her, this is the gravest decision she's ever made in her life and one that will change her life forever.  For scouting beyond the walls will reveal the power of love, survival, and the price of giving your heart and soul for humanity.





	A Threefold Chord

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all!
> 
> So this is the start of another longer term story. 
> 
> Just a few quick notes before we begin:
> 
> 1\. This storyline begins many years before the AoT storyline, but will eventually work up to the cannon material.
> 
> 2\. As always, as much as I would love to, I do not own the characters of this story. They are Isayama's babies and, even though he doesn't always treat them the best, I cannot take them away from him.
> 
> 3\. I would love to hear your feedback on this story, so feel free to leave a comment or kudos if you would like. And thank you for reading as well. 
> 
> So, all of those housekeeping items aside, I give you A Threefold Chord. Enjoy!

Prologue:

Eren swore under his breath, sweat trickling down his face and neck as he finished filling the feeding troughs of the stables. Letting out an exasperated huff, he tugged at the hem of his shirt, hoping to fan some cooler air underneath the fabric and over his fevered, sweat slick skin. He glanced behind him to see if Oluo was nearby, but, much to his relief, did not see him. Hopefully he and Petra were having one of their squabbles so he could have a moment of peace to relax. With a tried groan, he flipped over one of the empty wooden buckets with a hollow thud, sitting on the hard surface with a heavy sigh, leaning against the stone wall of the stables. It wasn't the most comfortable seat, but he didn't care, he thought, leaning his head against the wall as he gazed up at the dark boards of the ceiling…he just wanted a moment to rest without a pair of eyes watching his every move.

It had been two days since the trial that had determined his fate…two days since he had been saved from a seemingly eminent death sentence…two days since he had officially become a member of the Survey Corps. Becoming a Scout had been a dream of his for almost as long as he could remember. But, despite how often he had daydreamed about the day when he would be sporting his own wings of freedom, he never could have imagined it would have happened this way.

His eyelids began to droop as the exhaustion from the past few days finally became too great to ignore, the pungent scent of soiled straw and the occasional huff or snort from the horses as they ate not enough to keep him from beginning to slip into slumber. Since the aftermath of the Battle of Trost, he had been lucky to get two or three hours of sleep a night, and even then, those bouts of sleep were not in solid succession. It was difficult for him to relax enough to sleep, given that he was under constant guard and chained up when he was in bed. It wasn't until Hange and her squad had arrived yesterday that an agreement had been struck with Captain Levi that he didn't need to be chained up while he slept, her making the valid observation that if he did shift into his titan form in his sleep, that chains would not stop him. Captain Levi had finally agreed, though he said that an extra guard would be added to his nighttime watch. It still wasn't ideal, but it was an improvement of sorts. His wrists had begun to bruise from the shackles that were secured to his wrists on a nightly basis. Not that Eren had been able to enjoy the slight change in operations…he had made the mistake of asking Hange about her titan experiments and the eccentric scientist talked his ear off the remainder of the previous evening, through the night, and into the waking hours of the morning, robbing him of any chance for rest.

His mouth drooped in displeasure, a low growl of frustration rumbling in his chest as, even now, despite his utter exhaustion, sleep still eluded him. The rim of the bucket dug uncomfortably into the back of his thighs, his backside growing numb from sitting on such an unforgiving surface, his shirt clinging annoyingly to his sweaty back, only adding to the swirling of his thoughts which kept him awake.

"Why does it have to be so damn hot?" he huffed, opening his eyes and looking down at his lap, running his fingers under the belts that crossed over his legs, trying to adjust them so they would stop chaffing him so badly.

"What's this? I turn my back on you for ten minutes and you start slacking off, greenhorn?"

Eren grit his teeth at the sound of Oulo's annoying drawl, holding back a retort as he rose to his feet, offering a respectful salute to the Levi wannabe. Oulo crossed his arms, striking a stance Eren had seen Captain Levi make several times already.

"Would you like to explain what you were doing just now, greenhorn?" he taunted, an arrogant smirk coming to his face as he waited for Eren's answer.

If it wasn't for his stats that proved why he was on Levi's squad in the first place, Eren wouldn't have been able to understand what made this man so special. However, his kill record was worthy of respect, as he was one of the best among his peers. But, Eren thought in passing, it still didn't keep him from being a pain in the ass.

"I'm sorry, sir. I had finished filling the troughs as instructed, so I-…," he began, but was cut off when Oulo placed his hands on his hips, leering towards him as he cut him off.

"So you thought you could just sit on your ass and do nothing? You're just lucky that I was the one who found you, and not Captain Levi or else he'd probably be knocking another tooth out of that silly little head of yours."

"Hey, cut it out, Oulo," Petra's voice echoed as she stomped into the stables, crossing her arms and glaring reprovingly at Oulo as she continued, "Lay off him, ok? You know Hange kept him up all night. Cut the kid some slack."

Oulo cast Petra a scathing look, shrugging his shoulders dismissively, quipping, "It's not my fault he was stupid enough to ask the Mad Scientist about her freakish experiments."

Eren rolled his eyes as Petra's shoulders bristled at Oulo's quip, his words clearly hitting a nerve. He wished that if they were going to fight, yet again, that they would let Erd or Gunter take over his watch. Hell, he'd even opt for another gushing recounting from Hange if it meant getting away from these two. Their bickering was getting old fast.

"Stop talking about Hange like you actually have some beef with her."

Oulo smirked at her frustration, his voice teasing as he replied, "How many times do I have to tell you that if you're going to keep nagging me like you're my wife, I have better ideas of what you can do with your-…"

"Guys!" Gunter shouted, cutting off Oulo, Petra and Eren turning towards the entrance of the stables where Gunter stood, his chest heaving from exertion as he continued, "Get out here right now! We've got company!"

What? Eren thought, eyes widening as he found himself frozen in place. Oulo sprinted from the stables and past Gunter, drawing his blades as soon as he exited. Erd briefly appeared in view as he ran by the stables. There weren't titans this far away from the wall, were there?

"Eren," Petra commanded, pulling him out of his stunned stupor, grabbing his wrist with a tug, her amber eyes sparking with determination as she looked back at him, "We have to hurry and get you somewhere you can hide."

"There's no time," Gunter objected with a shake of his head, "We need you out here, Petra."

Petra nodded, casting Eren one last look before dashing out as well, her blades ringing as she drew them.

"You need to stay in here, Eren. Try to find somewhere to hide," Gunter ordered.

"But, sir," Eren objected, causing Gunter to halt as he started to turn to join the others, "if there are titans here, I can help."

Gunter gave a curt shake of his head before turning away from him, only sparing a passing look back as he answered, "It's not titans."

With that, Gunter ran off, disappearing from sight, leaving Eren alone and at a loss for what to do.

What was going on? The panicked question bounced around in his mind as his eyes frantically searched for a good hiding place. Surely there wasn't someone who was coming to take him away from the Scouts, not after Commander-in-Chief Zackly had ordered his placement. Though, Eren's thoughts reminded him as he ducked behind the barrel that was situated by the left side of the entrance-the perfect place where he could stay out of sight, but still see what was happening outside-no one other than the Scouts had been especially excited about the ruling from the trial.

He raised himself up on his knees a little more, hands holding onto the rim of the barrel as he tried to angle himself to get a better view. On the ground stood Gunter, Petra, and Oulo, their blades drawn and ready as their intense gazes faced the west. In the trees that bordered the edge of the western side of the camp, the glimmer of blades could be seen, revealing there were others at the ready, though the scouts that were stationed in expectation in the trees could not be seen by the naked eye.

Eren's gaze followed their line of vision, his teeth gritting together as he saw the clouds of dust that rose up into the balmy summer air. It looked like there were at least eight members to the otherwise unseen party. Why could they be coming here? Gathering by the reaction of the others, this visit was not expected, as Hange and her squad's had been.

A shot ran out through the air, a spiral of green smoke shooting up from the edge of the forest. Eren's brows furrowed, wondering what that was a signal for, since, as the green cloud hung in the breezeless air, the trio on the ground glanced at each other for reassurance before hesitantly sheathing their blades. Hopefully it was a good sign.

A minute or so later, the thundering of the hooves of several horses echoed from the forest rumbled in Eren's ears, his grip on the barrel subconsciously tightening as his eyes focused on the tree line. A moment later, a squad of soldiers emerged from the trees, a rush of relief coming over Eren as the wings of freedom blazed on their emerald cloaks.

"It's Captain Lisbeth and her squad!" Erd called, repelling from the tree where he had been concealed a few moments before.

Lisbeth? Eren wondered, his eyes widening somewhat as he watched the squad of eight slow their horses slowing from a trot to a walk as they came to where Gunter, Petra, and Oluo waited, Erd joining them as well. Did they mean Lisbeth Johansson?

He remembered Krista and some of the other girls talking about her when they were still at training camp. Apparently she was supposed to be some sort of female Levi when it came to her skill in the field, her aptitude on the same level of Mike Zacharias. She had been the daughter of the prestigious royal Johansson family, but she had joined the military against her family's wishes, eventually ending up being disowned for her rebellion, for having chosen the cause for humanity over her royal duties. Her performance as a trainee had been enough to place her in the top of her class, but, instead of choosing the safety of serving with the Military Police, she had chosen the most dangerous military branch-the Survey Corps. The female trainees had spoken of her with the same glowing adoration that most of the men spoke of Captain Levi, and Eren could understand why. If even half of the things people reported about her were true, she was an amazing woman and Eren had found himself star struck as he learned more about her.

The horses whinnied behind him as they caught scent of some of their comrades, seemingly excited to be reunited with their companions as well. Eren watched with anxious curiosity as the Scouts began dismounting. They were all haggard, but some were better off than others. About half of them were injured, though none of the injuries looked worse than something that rest and some bandages would heal…all except for one.

She had been the last to leave her mount, seemingly to ensure the other soldiers were being helped to the fortress before she made to move. She visibly winced as her boots touched the ground, pain evident on her face despite her efforts to conceal her discomfort. She looked as if she stood about five centimeters taller than Levi; her build, Eren noticed with a heated blush, was surprisingly voluptuous for someone of her physical strength; her chestnut brown hair dulled by the dirt and dried blood that stiffened it. The dried blood continued onto the porcelain skin of her face from an unseen head injury, cracking where her brows were knit together in pain as she stood straight, her presence commanding despite clearly being injured. Eren's heart beat faster against his ribcage as he watched Petra and Erd rush over to her, something akin to awe lighting in his eyes as she gave the two Scouts a pained, but warm smile as they saluted her. Yes, that had to be her.

"What's all the excitement about?" Hange chirped as she stepped out from the fortress, glancing curiously at the cadets that passed by her.

One of the cadets from Lisbeth's squad that was not assisting her fellow squad members inside rushed over to Hange, tears streaming down her face as she clasped the scientist's hands.

"I'm so sorry, Hange," she gushed nervously, her hands trembling as she confessed, "We were following the scouting path as instructed when we were swarmed by titans. And I..I..," the petite cadet faltered, a strangled sob escaping her lips, her brows twisting with guilt as she tried to continue, "I froze. One had-had reached down to grab me, but C-Captain Lisbeth cut off its hand and saved me. But that's when an abnormal grabbed the wire from her 3DM gear and crushed her body in its hand."

At this, she broke into loud sobs, covering her face with her hands, her body shaking from her cries.

"I'm-I'm so sorry."

A slight smile tugged at Hange's lips as she placed a comforting hand on the soldier's trembling shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up, Natasha," she soothed.

"She is right," Captain Lisbeth added as she approached, offering another warm smile to her distraught soldier, even though her legs trembled as she swayed on her feet. Eren's heart skipped a beat as the soothing alto tones of her voice carried over the grounds, "Everyone freezes up their first time when they encounter a titan. It even happened to me."

"Really?" Natasha whimpered, uncovering her face as her green eyes gazed up at her Captain, adoration in her now puffy eyes.

"Yes," she replied with a light chuckle, even though it made her wince, "You should ask Commander Erwin about it sometime. It is quite a story."

"O-Ok," Natasha answered weakly with a smile.

"Now I want you to head to the infirmary as well," Captain Lisbeth ordered, nodding her head towards the fortress, "I want to make sure you are uninjured."

"Yes, m'am!" Natasha said with a salute before rushing to obey her Captain's orders.

"Sounds like you had quite a run in with those titans," Hange began as they both watched the young cadet disappear from sight.

"Yeah, no kidding," Captain Lisbeth breathed before closing her eyes and putting her right hand to her head, sucking in a sharp breath through her teeth.

"Lisbeth? What's wrong?"

"Hange," she answered, her voice sounding as if she was far away, her eyes out of focus, blinking rapidly as if she couldn't get her vision to focus as she continued, "I feel funny…,"

As the last word weakly fell from her lips, her legs gave out underneath her, sending her crashing into Hange, who struggled to catch her before she fell completely to the ground. Captain Lisbeth's head leaned back limply as Hange secured her hold on her, righting herself as she carried her in a bridal style hold. Eren sprang up from his hiding place in the stables, running up with a few other soldiers who were all offering to help however they could.

"Make sure there is a bed in the infirmary prepared for her!" Hange barked over her shoulder as she rushed towards the fortress, adding before she disappeared inside, "And make sure someone tells Captain Levi!"

Without any other command needing to be given, a couple cadets broke off from the group, hurrying to fulfill Hange's instructions. Eren's brow quirked in question as he wondered what injuries she had sustained and, even more than that, why Hange had been insistent that Captain Levi be notified.

/

Eren glanced down at the folder tucked underneath his arm, making sure that none of the pages within had slipped out as he hastened his way to Captain Levi's quarters. Hange had handed him the folder a few minutes ago with brief instructions to deliver the status reports of the members of Lisbeth's squad as quickly as possible. She knew that Captain Lisbeth would want an update on her squad as soon as she became conscious. That being the case, Eren wondered, the sound of his boots against the wood floor of the hallway lessening as he slowed to a stop outside his destination, why was he delivering the reports to Captain Levi instead?

He took a deep breath, calming his nerves before rapping his knuckles against the oak door of Captain Levi's office. Even though he understood why the imposing Captain had acted the way he did at the trial, he still found himself a bit leery at being alone with the man, especially since he did not know if he had earned his trust yet, and thereby avoiding future punishment. Maybe he would get lucky and he would be out.

His brow furrowed as he waited for an answer of some kind, but he did not receive one. Heart lifting a bit, slightly relieved he would not have to face the Captain, he eagerly grasped the doorknob and turned it, surprised yet again as he found the door unlocked.

"Captain Levi, sir. Cadet Eren Jaeger with reports from Hange," he announced, his voice wavering slightly before he opened the door, cautiously entering before closing the door behind him.

Despite the heat of the day, the room was still fairly cool comparatively, the late afternoon breeze wafting through the open windows, which sat perfectly symmetrical on either side of the Captain's desk. It was a modestly sized room, though it was about half the size of the Commander's, sparsely decorated in comparison as well. All the room held was a large desk that already had a healthy stack of paperwork collecting on it, the loose papers fluttering with every gentle gust of breeze, behind which sat a cushioned chair, two wooden chairs placed, yet again, symmetrically on the other side. A map hung on the wall outlining all of the districts, but none of the typical indicators of potential scouting routes were indicated on the large ream of parchment. In the right corner sat a small table on which sat a basin and water pitcher, a crisp white linen laying beside, perfectly folded on the dustless surface. In all, the office was simple in decoration, orderly, and clean, all things which Eren had come to expect from the Captain.

The faint noises of some of the other cadets working outside and the whinnying of horses broke Eren out of his quiet assessment of the office and, with a shake of his head, he strode towards the desk, deciding he would leave the folder with a note to ensure it did not get lost with the other paperwork. He glanced sideways to the left at the door that stood open, the door to Captain Levi's private quarters. Curiosity urged him to continue to look, to see what secrets the despondent looking hero's room contained. Since the Captain was usually so distant from others, Eren wondered if his room would offer any clues into his true personality or past. However, as soon as the urge took him, he forced it back down, his gaze snapping away as he rounded the desk in search of a writing utensil of some sort. Someone of Captain Levi's standing deserved to have his privacy honored. As much as he admired the man, Eren would not let his curiosity get the better of him.

A few moments later, Eren had found the pen and ink bottle he required and had bent to begin writing the note when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught something moving. His attention shot to the right, eyes widening as he gazed over into the Captain's quarters.

The thin, white linen that covered the large window that rested slightly above the head of the bed billowed in the breeze, altering the sunlight which shone through the sheer material. Beside the bed, Captain Levi sat nearby in a wooden chair, uniform jacket hanging off the back, his crossed knees touching the edge, the way his petit form slouched, his chin leaning against his chest which rose and fell in a slow, measured manner indicating that he was deep in slumber. However, it was who lay on the bed that perplexed Eren even more. Tucked neatly under the gray wool blanket lay Captain Lisbeth. In the warm light of the afternoon sun, her now clean hair shimmered as the light breeze softly moved her long locks, her porcelain skin, now rid of the blood from earlier, seemed to glow with subtle radiance. Eren felt a rush of heat warm his cheeks as his lips parted slightly in awe, his previous task all but forgotten as he watched her chest rise and fall in the same rhythmic motion as Captain Levi's. Even with the bandage that wrapped around her head and the deep, plumb discoloration from the bruising that showed where her skin was exposed by her tank top, she was breathtaking. It was like watching a goddess sleep.

However, the perfectly serene visage of slumber was broken as her breath hitched, a slight frown creasing her brow as her mouth twisted in pain. Giving a quiet groan of discomfort, her eyes fluttered open, gaze quickly surveying the room about her. Eren stood frozen in place, his heart pounding in his chest at the fear of being discovered. He should leave, his thoughts prompted, but he found as he continued to look on that he could not, not when he noticed how her attention turned to the still sleeping Captain, her hazel eyes softening with unmistakable affection. Her lips curved upward in a loving half smile, the sign of her joy widening as Captain Levi began to stir as well, groaning as he stretched in an attempt to rid his stiff muscles of the ache caused by the uncomfortable sleeping position.

"It is good to see you were finally able to get some sleep," she said softly, gladly accepting the left hand the Captain had extended to her, their fingers interlacing immediately as he leaned towards her.

Captain Levi huffed, feigning annoyance, the irrepressible smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth giving his true emotions away as he replied in his usually monotone voice, "Well, what else was I supposed to do? I had to sit on my ass for four hours while I waited for you to wake up."

Captain Lisbeth's smile never faltered, despite the seemingly harsh response, her eyes sparkling with amusement instead, apparently used to the other captain's antics.

"I am glad you are safe, too, Levi."

Neither one ventured to continue the conversation, a comfortable silence falling between the two as they gazed at each other, their attention both gentle and intense. Eren watched in awe as the normally unwavering stoic mask of Captain Levi softened, his expression lightening with something akin to warmth as he reached his right hand to gently cup her cheek, stroking it soothingly with his thumb. What was going on? Eren blinked his eyes emphatically, unable to believe the show of tender affection he was witnessing from the Captain who had beat him so hard two days ago that it had taken all the time since then for him to recover.

"How are you?" Captain Levi asked, his soft tones interrupting Eren's internal questioning, drawing his attention back to the two captains.

"I hurt all over," Captain Lisbeth mumbled, allowing her discomfort to be evident on her features, causing the other Captain to frown in disapproval, "Not as much as I had expected, but it still hurts to move. But I've had worse. I mainly feel sluggish, like my brain is cloudy."

"That'll be from the meds Hange gave you," Captain Levi explained, withdrawing his touch momentarily as he moved to sit beside her on the bed, "She said they would help with the pain."

"I would hate to see how I would be feeling if she had not given them to me," she replied with a humorless laugh.

"Yeah," Captain Levi deadpanned, "A severe concussion and deep bruising all over your body hurts like a bitch."

He paused for a moment, his lips twitching with concealed humor as he crossed his arms, looking down at her as he added, "You know Erwin is going to flip his shit when he sees the state you're in, right? He won't let you leave bed until Hange gives you a clean bill of health, probably bring you breakfast in bed every morning for good measure or some sappy shit like that."

Eren's ears perked as the pleasant tinkling of her laughter sounded in response to Captain Levi's complaint, before her humor was cut short, her expression twisting with pain once more a moment before she fell silent. Though her amusement did nothing to pacify the ever increasing confusion that swirled in Eren's mind the longer he was witness to this private exchange. How did Commander Erwin factor into this?

"At least I will have one of you to dote on me while I am an invalid," she quipped, her eyes sparkling with playful intent.

"Tch," Captain Levi huffed sarcastically, but offering no further response on that subject, choosing instead to change the topic as he reclined on his side next to her, propping himself up on his elbow as he continued, "So what happened out there, Lisbeth? Is what that Natasha brat saying true?"

She shot him a disapproving look at him calling Natasha a brat, but she offered no other reprimand to his comment as she answered, "Yes."

Captain Levi's jaw clenched, eyes blazing with indignation at her answer. Captain Lisbeth smiled softly as she reached up, wincing as she began to rub his upper arm comfortingly.

"Don't be cross with her," she soothed, "It was her first time out in the field. She froze, is all. We all do."

Another huff of disagreement answered her statement, followed by a low mumble of, "I fucking didn't."

"She has not seen the things you did," she added, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze, smile faltering at the apparent weight of her statement.

"Whatever," he mumbled, shooting her a pointed look, "Just don't keep putting your life on the line because some cadet's too busy pissing their pants to do their damn job. That's how you end up dead."

Captain Lisbeth winced as she offered a half hearted shrug, "At least I still killed the bastard."

A deep chuckle sounded from Captain Levi's chest as he leaned over her, a satisfied smirk on his lips as his eyes sparked with pride.

"That's my girl."

With smooth movements, he curled his finger under her chin, gently tilting her head a moment before he leaned into her and captured her soft, full lips with his, her hand, which had previously been resting comfortingly on his shoulder reaching up, slender fingers rubbing the soft, short hair of his undercut. Eren stood, frozen in place as his heartbeat thundered loudly in his ears, as he watched the intimate scene play out before him. His thoughts were loud, swirling, and incoherent as he could not force himself to avert his eyes-a myriad of questions that begged to be answered clattering around in his mind like loose marbles. And, he noted, a heated wave of shameful embarrassment washing over him as he became acutely aware of the somewhat firm arousal that had begun to press against his pants as the two captains continued to embrace each other-nothing intensely sexual about their embrace, but this was the first time Eren had witnessed such an unreserved physical display-that his hormones were not helping to clear things up.

Out of the cacophony that distracted the young cadet, one thought clearly emerged as Captain Levi reached his hand around to tangle his fingers in her hair as he gripped the back of her head, deepening the kiss…he had to get out of here. Eren blinked, coming to reality as if he had been stuck in a dream, thoughts suddenly clear as he realized what he needed to do. Unfortunately, his embarrassment and urgency got the better of him and as he backed up, preparing to round the desk and leave, he stumbled over his feet and, as he was reaching to steady himself, he sent the ink well clattering loudly to the floor, black ink splattering over the wood floor.

Oh shit. He thought, staring at the dark pool as it continued to seep onto the floor. I'm dead.

"Oi, Jaeger," Captain Levi's commanding voice called from the other room.

Eren turned his head slowly, his eyes wide with terror to see the dark haired Captain now standing by the bed, his feet planted and his arms crossed over his chest, all tenderness and warmth from a moment before erased from his features. Captain Lisbeth now sat aright, propped up by several pillows, her expression unreadable as she gazed intently at the young cadet, something in her studying look reminding Eren of Commander Erwin.

"Are you going to explain why the hell you're in here or are you going to keep gawking like a fucking pervert?"

"Levi," she chided softly, sending him a gently reproving look before turning her attention to Eren, a warm yet weary smile on her face, "Please come here, Eren."

Eren briefly wondered what was wrong with him, a faint flush coming to his cheeks as she spoke his name, his heart fluttering nervously in his chest. Despite the fact that it had been at least eight years ago when she was stripped of her royal title, the hint of nobility could still be heard on her tongue and seen in the way she carried herself. In all, he found her rather disarming.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Eren obeyed her command, having enough of his wits about him to snatch up the folder before stepping into Levi's quarters. He did his best not to let his eyes wander about the room, but instead kept them resolutely fixed on a neutral object-the headboard to be exact-as he approached and stood at attention, though he ensured he remained at least arm's length from the other Captain, whose arms were still crossed, the scowl on his face not relenting in intensity.

"Now what brought you to Captain Levi's office?" Captain Lisbeth prodded gently, Eren's attention automatically drawn to her.

"I….I…uh," Eren stuttered, at a loss for words as her eyes gazed into his own, feeling another rush of warmth sweep over his body as she patiently waited for him to find the words.

"Today, Jaeger," the other Captain huffed, not having the same patience as his partner.

Eren fumbled at the folder, shakily extending it to Captain Lisbeth as the words rushed out as he replied, "Ha-Hange wanted me to bring you the reports on your cadet's health evaluations. She-she said you would want them as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Eren," she replied, her attention immediately drawn to the folder as she accepted it and began to flip through the pages, her eyes eagerly scanning the pages as she added a moment later, "Please return to Hange and give her my thanks. You are dismissed."

Eren saluted both of the captains respectfully before turning on his heel and eager to exit, when his gaze fell to the dark pool of ink that stained the office floor.

"Uh," he began uneasily, turning back around, "Do you want me to clean this up?"

Captain Levi's huff of frustration was his first answer, followed by a curt, "No. Don't want you screwing up anything else in my office."

"Yes, sir," Eren mumbled, eyes downcast as he turned and left the two captains, deciding he would immediately follow Captain Lisbeth's orders and return to Hange.

As he made his way through the labyrinth of hallways, Eren's thoughts began to wander once more. What was the nature of Captain Levi and Captain Listbeth's relationship? They were obviously together in some way, but it had been made clear several times while he had been in training camp that fraternization of that sort between any members of the military was strictly forbidden as such ties had the unruly possibility of causing a catastrophic distraction on the battlefield. Hannah and Franz had been punished several times for becoming so close, their connection with each other obviously beyond that of friendship-a connection that had led to their deaths, so Eren had been utterly dumbfounded when he had seen the two captains together. But then there was the matter of Commander Erwin. From the way Captain Levi had said it, it sounded like the Commander was involved with Captain Lisbeth as well, possibly himself. What was going on? He wondered, his thoughts swimming by the time he came to the door of Hange's laboratory.

"Section Commander Hange?" Eren asked as he knocked on the door, "It's Cadet Eren Jaeger. Captain Lisbeth sent me."

Eren jumped as a loud thud sounded from the other side, followed by some muffled curses before a moment later, the door was flung open, revealing a disheveled looking Hange, her hair askew and her eyes glinting with slightly unhinged excitement.

"Eren! I'm so glad to see you!" she gushed, grabbing his hand before jerking him inside and shutting the door behind them, "We could use an extra set of hands."

"Section Commander!" Moblit's strained voice came from within the dimly lit room, "How long am I supposed to hold this?"

"Just a little bit longer. I've got back up," she called, dragging Eren behind her as she made her way through her laboratory, which could only be described as a potentially life threatening obstacle course.

Hange's laboratory appeared just how Eren had envisioned when Armin had read him a book his grandfather had stored away about a mad scientist: there were books and papers and sketches strewn about the room with no particular rhyme or reason; odd specimens were housed in an assortment of jars of various sizes, submerged in liquid; and unexplained vials of different colored liquids popped and steamed. As she led him around the sharp corner of a bookcase, Eren's foot slipped on an unknown liquid that was on the floor. Luckily Hange's strong grip on his hand allowed him to regain his balance and walk the short remaining distance to where Moblit strained under the weight of a rather large box that was filled to the brim with large volumes of research notes. As they joined Hange's assistant, Eren cast a passing glance to where he had almost slipped, briefly hoping that whatever he had stepped in wouldn't prove to be problematic when he removed his boots later. After getting a good look at Hange's laboratory, he understood why Captain Levi refused to step foot into the chaotic mess. He was sure that if the petit Captain did, something inside him would snap.

"Um, a little help here, Eren," Moblit strained out, arms trembling as he attempted to maintain his hold on the large box.

"Oh, right," Eren started, reaching and supporting the other side of the box, steadying Moblit's hold on it before turning to Hange, his brows furrowed questioningly, "So what exactly are we doing?"

Hange's face lit up immediately at his query and Eren's stomach sank with regret at her reaction.

"Well, I want to use my laboratory to work on some of the experiments I'm planning on doing with you and how things are currently arranged won't allow for the space I am going to need."

Eren's shoulders slumped, his whole frame deflating at her matter-of-fact response. Of course…more experiments.

The next two hours were spent packing up supplies, rotating furniture and bookshelves, and reconfiguring the layout of the room until the Section Commander was satisfied with the results. It was half past seven when they had called it quits, Moblit declaring before he left for the mess hall that his stomach was telling him that he couldn't do any more rearranging today. Eren felt the same, the hollow growling of his stomach becoming more difficult to ignore with every passing minute. However, he had more pressing matters which needed addressed, and he was hoping Hange would be just the one to supply the answers he desired.

"Water?" she asked, offering him a questionably clean cup. However, the way his tongue clung to the roof of his mouth and his throat clicked whenever he tried to swallow made him aware that he should not turn down her offer. So instead he chose to take a large swig from the glass, the cool liquid bringing instant relief to his parched throat.

"So," Hange continued, crossing her legs as she sat on top of her desk opposite of where Eren sat in the only available chair in the room, "You said Captain Lisbeth had a message for me?"

Her reminder renewed his energy somewhat and he sat up a bit straighter, his face lighting as he answered, "Yes, she wanted me to send her thanks for the reports."

Hange nodded in acknowledgement, but offered not response, a heavy silence falling between the two of them for a few moments as she observed him over her glass as she took a long sip.

"Why do I feel like that's not the only thing you wanted to talk about?"

Eren paused, hesitating for a moment as her invitation continued to hang in the air. If the three officers were in a relationship, what was it to him? It wasn't his place to know, not his place to judge. The three of them were exceptional leaders who had already sacrificed so much for the sake of humanity, what did it really matter if they were disregarding one of the most basic rules of the military? However, even as he tried to stifle his curiosity, Eren found he could not ignore it any longer.

"Well, it's just that…," he paused, looking down as he continued with his confession, "Well, when I went to deliver the reports to Captain Levi's quarters, I found Captain Lisbeth in there with him. They were talking at first. But," Eren paused again, his ears warming with embarrassment, but chose to ignore it as he pressed on, "But then they ended up kissing."

He jumped as Hange let out an excited squeal, clapping her hands enthusiastically to her cheeks as she swayed, apparently overjoyed at the revelation.

"Oh, I know! Aren't they the cutest?!"

Eren blinked, unsure how to answer such a gushing question. A moment later, he chose to ignore it, replying with a question of his own instead, "So they are together?"

"Oh yeah," she replied nonchalantly, pouring some more water from a pitcher into her glass, "They've been together for years."

She paused, taking another drink from her glass before adding, "Erwin, too. It's one of the best kept secrets of the Survey Corps."

Eren blanched at how unfazed she seemed as she willingly disclosed the existence of such a relationship between the three officers, a relationship that was taboo for more than one reason.

"So you're saying that the three of them…the three of them are together?" he asked, still unable to believe what he was hearing.

Hange smiled warmly, setting her glass down on the desk before leaning towards him, her elbows resting on her knees.

"Eren," she began, her voice soft, "I know it can be a hard thing to grasp, especially for someone of your age. But you have to understand that once you've been out here, once you've seen the things that they've seen, sacrificed as much as they have, it puts a whole new perspective on what really matters in life. And, as unconventional as it may be, they have decided that love is one of those things. Now you can't really fault them for that, can you?"

Eren looked down at his hands, rubbing his right thumb against his left palm, as he mulled her words over. As he considered her question, images of Armin and Mikasa came to his mind, his heart involuntarily swelling with the intense love he felt for the other two. Ever since the battle at Trost, he had clung tighter to them, afraid that if he didn't that he would lose them. That had been in the aftermath of just one battle. The trio of officers had faced countless battles and lost an innumerable amount of comrades over the years, sacrificing both heart and soul to the cause for humanity. A subtle smile of appreciation curved his lips as he realized that he couldn't blame them for wanting to find some comfort in the face of the hell they were all living. They of all people deserved a bit of happiness…for however long the cruel mistress of fate would allow them to.


End file.
